Automatic billing-machine for meters.



R. W. GALLAGHER.

AUTOMATIG BILLING MACHINE FOR METERS.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

Patented June 7,1910.

7 BHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR,

WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

R. W. GALLAGHER. AUTOMATIC BILLING MACHINE FOR METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

INVENTOR, a. w. aaa fiz ATTORNEY.

Patented June 7, 1910.

vsnnnrs-snnm 2.

9744, uf/uyfi WITNESSES.- 4%Z 44K R. W. GALLAGHER.

AUTOMATIG BILLING MACHINE FOR METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

Patented June 7, 1910.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

4 73 Zwa;

42 INVENTOR,

54 0?7 m fi v $744, ATTORNEY.

R. W. GALLAGHER.

AUTOMATIC BILLING MAGHINE FOR METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

Patented June 7, 1910.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

L X, i

v IN VEN TOR, I A. w. 541 47 WHNESSES ATTORNEY.

R. W. GALLAGHER.

AUTOMATIC BILLING MACHINE FDR'METERS.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

960,533. Patented June 7, 1910,

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5,

o O fix W IZVVENTOR, 61w. M:

A TTORNE Y.

R. W. GALLAGHER.

AUTOMATIC BILLING MACHINE FOR METERS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

960,533. Patented June 7, 1910.

v '7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

my //2 m5 7 X/ 74 INVENTOR,

maf'w w A TTORNE Y.

' WITNESSES.-

R. W. GALLAGHER.

AUTOMATIC BILLING MACHINE FOR METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

Patented June 7, 1910.

7 BHBBTSSHEET 7.

141 sun st l2 lfir. (ITY GA: (Q. D

Gab (onsomcd amce 1115+ nadir Cuf rGp 50+ H.

INVENTOR, 4. Z/.

WITNESSES.-

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD WILLIAM GALLAGHER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO AUTO-MATIC BILLING COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC BILLING-MACHINE FOR. METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June '7, 1910.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD VILLIAM GALLAGHER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los :Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticBilling-Machines for Meters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which canbe attached to any meter, such as a gas or electric meter, withoutmaterially changing the construction of the meter itself, which, whensuitably operated by a bill collector or other person, will record theamount of the commodity measured by the meter consumed since the lastsuch previous operation, and will also record the cost of. the same at agiven rate, and also the date of making the record; from which, at suchoperation, a number of such records can be taken from the machine, whileone such record can be retained in the machine for future reference;which will provide means for insuring that the recording devices arereset to zero after each record has been taken; and one which Will beeasy and convenient to replenish with record rolls, when necessary.

A particularly important feature of the invention resides in theprovision for automatically rendering a record of the cost of thecommodity at a price previously determined, as well as the amountthereof consumed. 7

Another important feature consists in the provision of mechanismwhereby, although the motion of the meter mechanism is continuous, orpractically so, the recording devices, both as to the amount and as tothe cost, advance only when such amount and cost have reachedpredetermined magnitudes, as, for instance, exact cents, dimes, anddollars in the cost, and exact units, tens, hundreds, and so forth inthe amount.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing agas meter with my apparatus attached thereto, the top of the gas meterbeing removed, and the casing of the apparatus being broken away; Fig. 2is an enlarged detail side elevation,

- partly in section, showing the connection of the mechanism shaft witha shaft of the meter; Fig. 3 1s a broken front view of the mechanism,the front cover being lowered,

and the recording devices being shown in their lowered position; Fig.4.- is a side view of the mechanism, a side wall thereof being removed,the front cover being partly open;

F i". 5 is a detail cross-sectional view showing the pawl and notchconnection interposed between the front cover and the support for therecording means; Fig. 6 is a detail side view of the same; Fig. 7 is adetail longitudinal section; Fig. 8 is a View, similar to Fig. 4, of theother side of the machine; Fig. 9 is a broken side View, similar to Fig.8, showing the bottom of the mechanism casing partly lowered; Fig. 10 isa. view of the mechanism looking from the rear, that is, the sideadjacent to the meter; Fig. 11 is a detail longitudinal section on theline 11l1 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken above therecording mechanism; Fig. 13 is a detail top plan view and Fi 14 is aside view of one of the dogs for the amount recording wheels; Fig. 15 isa longitudinal section through the dating Wheel shafts; Fig. 16 is anaxial section of the cost recording wheels; Fig. 17 is a side view of agear wheel used in connection with said cost recording wheels; Fig. 18is a broken view of the same and of the first recording wheel lookingfrom the opposite side to Fig. 17; Fig. 19 is a section on the line 1919 of Fig. 16; Fig. 20 is a section on the line 20 20 of Fig. 16; Fig.21 is a side view of the second cost recording wheel and cam disk; Fig.22' is a section on the line 2121 of Fig. 16; Fig. 23 is a View similarto Fig. 21 of the third cost recording wheel and the star wheel usedtherewith; Fig. 24 is a. view of a bill as prepared by the machine.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the meter case to which the billdelivery mcch anism is attached. Said meter is here shown as for gas,but the invention is not limited thereto, but may be applied forrecording the. speed of any rotating shaft or of a reciprtwating device.

The casing of the bill delivery mechanism com 'iriscs the bottom 2, bentup at its edges, as shown at 3, (Fig. 10) to form vertical supports,side walls 4 secured to said sup ports, a op 5 having downwardlyextending flanges 6 (Fig. secured to said side walls, a front wall 7hinged, as shown at S, to the inner surface of the bottom, and a frontcover or door 9, hinged, as shown at 10, (Fig. 8) to the under or outersurface of said bottom. The front cover and the to are provided, onewith a staple 11 and the other with a slotted hinge strap 12, adapted topass over said staple, to which it can be secured by a suitable padlock.The side walls 4 are secured to small brackets 13, (Fig. 1) attached tothe front of the meter case, and by this means the mechanism issupported on the meter case.

Secured to the side walls 4 are the upper and lower plates 15, 16, ofthe main frame of the mechanism, said plates being secured together byfour vertical posts 17, and upon said posts slide sleeves 18 secured toa carrier plate 19, which carries means for perforatm or otherwisemarking the multiplicate bil s. By the opening of the front door orcover 9, said frame is caused to automatically descend into lower plate16, there ein pivotally attached to the rear side of sai front door thefront end of a link 20, the rear end of which is connected to a slidepiece 21 by a pivot pin 22, one end of which is extended to pass into aguideway 23, which serves to hold down said extension and the end of theslide piece. Said slide piece is formed at the front end with anupwardly extending arm 24, which is pivotally attached, as shown at 25,(Fig. 4), to a lever 26, pivoted to the main frame of the mechanism at apoint 27 near the top plate 15 thereof. The lower end of the lever isformed with a slot 28, into which passes a pin 29 extending laterallyfrom a rack 30 moving in front and rear guideways 32, 33, depending fromthe lower plate 16. Said rack engages a pinion 34 which revolves looselyupon a shaft 35, (Fi s. 6, 7,) which has its hearings in lugs 36depending from the lower plate 16 and carries a spring-actuated dog 37adapted to engage a notch 38 formed in the periphery of a disk 39 faston said shaft. Thereby a rotary motion of the pinion in one directionimparts a corresponding rotation to the disk 39 and to the shaft 35,while the pinion can freely return in the opposite direction withoutturning said shaft, the return movement of the shaft 35 being preventedby a dog 40 carried on said lower plate 16 and engagin the teeth of aratchet wheel 41 on said s aft (Figs. 8, 10). Upon the ends of the shaft35 are secured cranks 42 which are pivotally connected to the lower endsof links 43, the upper ends of which are connected to pins 44 secured tothe movable carrier plate 19. It will readily be seen that, as the frontdoor swings forward and downward, the link 20 and slide piece 21 moveforward, causing the lever 26 also to swing forward, and therefore alsothe rack 30. The proportions of the above mentioned parts and of thepinion are such that roximity with the a complete forward movement ofthe door produces a complete revolution of the pinion, and thereforealso a complete vertical reciprocation of the plate 19'. When the dooris closed again, no further motion is imparted to said plate 19, becausethe pinion then rotates in the reverse direction and its pawl freelypasses over the notch 38 in the disk 39 without imparting rotationthereto.

Supported on the bottom of the mechanism casing are walls 45 havingformed in their upper edges suitable recesses 46 to receive the axles ofthree rollers 47, '48, 49, around which are wound five recording sheets50, one on each of the rollers 48, 49, and three on the roller 47. Thesesheets pass from said rollers over the bottom plate 16 and beneath aretainer plate 51, four of them then passing between two deliveryrollers 52 and out through a slot 53 in the front wall of the mechanismcasing. Said rollers 52 are caused to revolve with each other by meansof gear wheels 54, 55, (Figs. 3, 4,) meshing with each other, the lowergear wheel 55 meshing also with an intermediate wheel 56, which in turnmeshes with a pinion 57 upon a shaft 58 carrying a record winding roller59. The shaft 58 is thus driven from the delivery rollers as the latterare moved by drawing out from between the said four record sheets. Thefifth sheet passes to the record winding roller 59 and is wound upthereon to serve as a check or reference. The other four sheets, havingmarked thereon information in regard to the amount and cost of gas orother commodity consumed, are torn off by the collector, who presentsone of them to the consumer as a bill and collects the amount thereon,turns into the office of the company supplying the commodity two otherof the record sheets, and retains one for his own prmzection. Thedelivery rollers may be rotated either by drawing out the four sheets,or directly, by applying a key to the end of the shaft 58 of the recordwinding roller 59.

It will have been understood from the foregoing description that, whenthe door 9 is fully opened, the carrier plate carrying the recordmarking devices has been completely reciprocatcd and returned to itsuppermost position, and that the marking of the records is effected whenthe front door is opened about half way. Before drawin out and removingthe records thus marke and after they are marked, the collector shouldreset all the marking wheels to zero. In order to remind the collectorof this duty, and insure that he does not fully open the door and removethe record sheet-s before resetting, there is provided a pivoted arm (53depending from the top plate 1.5 of the mechanism frame, the lower endof said arm being, by means of a spring 64, automatically moved ovcr themovable plate 19, when the latter has been sufficiently depressed, toresist the return thereof until positively removed from above said late.WVhen the plate 19 is in this position, the resetting shafts 113, 116,hereinafter more part-icu-. larly described, are respectively oppositeto apertures 60, 61, in the front wall 7, so that the collector, bymeans of a winding key applied in succession through said apertures,resets all themarking wheels to zero. The collector then removes the arm63 from its obstructive position, for which purpose there is provided arod 65 attached at its rear end to said arm, the front end extend ingthrough a hole in the front cover, so that the collector, by pushing onsaid front end, can release the plate 19. The collector then fully opensthe door 9, and removes the record sheets.

Upon the top of the upper late 15 are secured bearings 66 for a sha 67,which is adapted to be connected by a coupling 68 (Fig. 2) with a shaft69. In a gas meter, said shaft 69 is driven by means of a gear wheel 70from the gear wheel 71 on the shaft of. the hundreds dial, and whichforms part of the train of the dial mechanism, (Fig. 9), which is drivenin the ordinary way or from the shaft 72 (Fig. 1). Thereby a motion ofrevolution is imparted to the shaft 67 and to two gear wheels 1 73thereon. WVhen the movable plate is in its uppermost position, said gearwheels 73 can mesh with gear wheels 74, 7 5, mounted on stud shafts 76,77, in standards 78-supported upon the movable plate 19.

The gear wheel 74 has formed integral therewith a pinion 79 which mesheswith a gear wheel 80 loose on a fixed shaft 81 and thus imparts anintermittent rotary motion to said shaft, and to the cost-recordingwheels 82, 83, 84, in the manner which will be presently described. Inlike manner the gear wheel meshes with the gear wheel 86 on a shaft 87and thus imparts motion to the amount-recording wheels 88, 89, 90, onsaid shaft. A third set of wheels 91, 92, 93, are mounted uponconcentric or nested shafts 94, 95, 96, having secured at their endsmilled disks 97, 98, 99, the face of each having marked thereoncharacters 100 to indicate the date. Thus, the largest milled disk 99has marked thereon the initial letters of the month, and. the other twohave marked thereon respectively the tens and units ofthe days of themonth. All of these dating wheels are, by means of springs 101, whichenter notches 102 formed in the sides of said wheels, positivelyprevented moving backward, and also from moving forward except whenpositively advanced by mechanism for that purpose. All of these wheels,the cost-recording, the amountrecording, and the dating wheels, haveextended from their peripheries perforating pins 103, which are adaptedto perforate the record sheets, and the lower plate 16, and also theretainer plate 51, are formed with apertures 104 (Figs. 7, 9, 10, 11,)be neath the respective sets of recording wheels; and secured to saidplate 16, across and beneath said apertures, are blocks 105 whichsupport pads 106 of felt or the like, adapted to receive without injurythe points of the perforating pins.

When the movable plate 19 descends, the gear wheels 80, 86, move out ofen agement with the pinion 79 and gear wheel 7 5. At the same time theupper portion of a yoke 107 (Figs. 4, 8, 12,) ivoted at 108 on saidplate 19, moves out o engagement with the beveled or wedged shaped li109 of a fixed arm 110, permltting said yo e to swing toward thecost-recordin wheels, which it does under the action 0% springs 111,thereby causing a resetting wheel 112 on a shaft 113 (Figs. 4, 8, 12) tomove into engage ment with the gear wheel and also resetting wheels 114on the same shaft to move into engagement with gear rings 115 securedupon the cost-recording wheels of the higher denominations. In likemanner, for the amount recording wheels, there is provided a resettingshaft 116 having bearings in a yoke 117, (Figs. 2, 8, 11) drawn towardsaid amount-recordin wheels by means of springs 118, and adapted to bemoved therefrom by means of the wed eshaped lower end 119 of apiece 120epending from the upper plate 15. Said lower end, engaging the crosspiece of the swinging yoke 117 moves said yoke away from saidamount-recording wheels against the action of said springs 118. Saidshaft 116 has thereon gear wheels 121 adapted to engage respectivelygear wheels 122 formed u on the amount-recording wheels. Each 0 saidresetting gear wheels is mounted loosely upon its shaft, and isconnected therewith only through the medium of a coiled spring 124,thereby permitting the shaft to continue rotating after the resettinggear wheel has been arrested and the recording wheel has been broughtback to zero. Said recording wheels are automatically arrested at theirzero position in the following manner:

Pivoted at 160 (Fig. 10) is a dog 161 normally drawn toward the wheel 80by a spring 162. In a circular portion of said wheel 80 is a notch 168,and said dog, when engaging said notch, arrests the wheel in a positioncorresponding to the zero position of the wheel 82. There is likewiseprovided a pivoted dog 164 adapted to engage a notch 165 in theperiphery of said latter wheel 82. These dogs are connected by a link166, so that they move in unison. In the normal position of themechanism, that is, except at the time when the operator is taking arec- 0rd, these dogs are maintained out of engagement with therespective notches by means of a depending bar 167, the wedgeshapedlower end of which en ages a pm 168 carried by said link 166, an thusmoves said dogs out of engagement with said notches. As soon as thecarrier plate descends, upon beginning to take a record from themechanism, said pin 168 leaves the wedge-shaped end of the bar 167 andsaid dogs, moving inward under the action of the spring, are inreadiness to engage said notches. The first wheel of the amount recordinseries is, in like manner, arrested, when lirought back to zero, bymeans of a dog 169, a rearwardly extending arm .170 of which is ada tedto be engaged by a bar 171 depending rom the plate 15. Said do 169 isforked or double as shown in detai in Figs. 13 and 14, so as to engagenotches in two disks, and is actuated by a spring 172. In like manner,upon each of the second recording wheels 83, 89 and third recordingwheels 84, 90, is secured a disk 174 (Figs. t, 12) having a notch 175,and there is provided a spring actuated dog 176, arranged to bear uponsaid disk when the carrier plate is in its lower position, and to engagethe notch 175 when the latter is brought opposite to the dog by themovement of the resetting wheel. Each dog 176 is also maintained out ofengagement with its disk when the parts are in their normal position,this being effected by an arm 178 extending laterally in front of an armon the shaft of the dog 17 6, from a dog for a wheel of lowerdenomination, so that, when the latter dog is pushed away from itsrecording wheel, said arm 17 8 withdraws also said dog 176 from its diskand notch. It will thus be seen that, as the resetting wheels are set inmotion to return the recording wheels to zero, a wheel of a higherdenomination can not be arrested in its zero position until the wheelsof lower denominations have-been successively arrested at such position.If, however, a wheel is so arrested, the dog arresting the same releasesthe dog corresponding to the wheel of the next higher denomination andpermits it to engage the notch of said wheel the next time that saidnotch comes opposite to said dog in the rotation of the wheel.

The date recording wheels may be turned independently by hand in themanner already explained, but, since collections are generally madeoncea month, and on the same day of the month, it is desirable to advancethe wheel recording the month one division each time that the record istaken, thus avoiding the trouble of making the necessary advance byhand. In order to accomplish this, said wheel has secured thereto aratchet wheel 179, which, upon the upward movement of the carrier plate,is adapted to be engaged by a downwardly extending pawl 180 to advancesaid ratchet wheel and the month recording wheel one division.

187 indicates strengthening ribs for the front door or cover.

181 indicates a bill prepared by the machine. It contains reviouslyprinted matter 182 common to a 1 the bills, and on it are formed by themachine perforations 183 indicating the date, perforations 184 indicating the amount consumed, and perforations 185' indicating the cost tothe consumer.

I will now describe the construction and mode of operation of the costrecording wheels. The apparatus here shown is arranged for recording thecost of 80 cents per thousand feet of as, but may be varied fordifferent prices 0 gas.

The gear wheel 80 has formed on the inner side thereof a crown ring 130,(Figs. 16, 17, 18) within which is ret: ned a coiled spring 131 fastenedat its inner end to the hub of said wheel. The outer end of said springis attached to a pin 132, extending from theside of the first wheel 82of the cost-recording series. Said latter wheel 82 turns loosely uponthe fixed shaft 81. It would result from the above construction that,'as the gear wheel turns, continuously with the meter mechanism, thefirst wheel 82 of the series would also turn continuously with it. This,however, is prevented, and a continuous rotary movement of the wheel 80is converted into an intermittent rotary movement of the wheel 82, bymeans of a dog 134 carried by the wheel 82 which, by means of a spring137, is normally caused to engage a ratchet wheel 135 fixed upon thestationa shaft 81, said dog having a pin 138 exten ing laterallytherefrom into an oblique slot 139 formed by an extension at the side ofthe gear wheel 80, so that, after said gear wheel has advanced ananmilar distance corresponding to a recording division of the wheel 82,said dog by its engagement with said slot is moved out of engagementwith the fixed ratchet wheel, whereupon the wheel 82 is no longer heldback by said fixed ratchet wheel, but immediately springs forward underthe action of the coiled spring 131, the dog 134: then again movinginward and engaging the next tooth, in advance, of the ratchet wheel. Inthis manner intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the wheel 82. Saidwheel 82 is formed with twentyfive divisions, corresponding to thefigures of the cents in the cost of twenty-five different amounts of gasat 80 cents a thousand cubic feet, the pins 103 of the first divisionbeing arranged to perforate the figures 08 for 100 feet of gas; thesecond 16 for 200 feet; the third 24 for 300 feet; and so on, for twelveadvances of the cents-recording wheel, the last bringing said wheel tothe record 96 for 1200 feet; but then a transfer must be made to thenext costrecording.

wheel 83, which records the dollars, and said wheel 83 must be advancedone division to indicate the cost, 1 dollar, and 4 cents for 1300 feet.No further chan e would then be. necessary in the second wheel 83 of theseries during eleven more changes of the cents-recording wheel 82corresponding to the successive costs by hundreds from 1300 feet to 2400feet, inclusive; but then another change or advance would be necessaryin the dollars-recording wheel 83 to record the cost of 2500 feet,namely $2.00. It will thus be seen that, for the first thirteencost-marks of the cents-recording/wheel 82, extending from the record 00to the record 96, no movement need be imparted to the dollarsrecordingwheel 83, but, on the thirteenth movement of the cents-recording wheel82, the dollars-recording wheel 83 must be advanced one division tobring it to the numeral 1 to perform its part in recording the cost$1.04. Then, on the twelfth succeeding movement of the cost-recordingwheel the dollars-recording wheel must be again advanced to bring it tothe numeral 2 so as to record the cost of $2.00. It will also be seenthat the cents marks repeat themselves in the same order for costs insuccessive hundreds of cubic feet from $2.00

to $4.00 and then again from $4.00 to $6.00,

and so on indefinitely. Therefore these movements have to be repeatedindefinitely, first, thirteen movements of the cents-recording wheel,before advancing the dollarrecording wheel one division, then twelvemovements, then thirteen movements, and so on. To obtain this result Iprovide the following construction:

Upon the inner face of the second wheel 83, by which is meant the facenearest to the source of movement, is secured a ratchet wheel 141 havingtwenty-five teeth. Upon the shaft between the cents-recording wheel 82and the dollars-recording wheel 83 is secured a cam disk 142, havingformed therein diametrically opposite recesses 143, 144, of which theshorter recess 143 takes up about two twenty-fifths of the circumferenceof the disk and thus corresponds in angular distance with two teeth ofthe ratchet wheel 141, while the longer recess 144 is of a lengthcorresponding with three of said teeth. Upon the outer side of thecents-recording wheel, that is, the side next to the wheel 83, ispivoted a pawl 145, normally pressed inward by means of a spring 140.Suppose that the cents-recording wheel 82 is set at zero, so as to givea record .00, then upon the complete passage of 100 feet of gas throughthe meter, said wheel is, by the mechanism already explained, turnedthrough one twenty-fifth of a revolution, so as to mark 08. Upon thepassage of 200 feet it is turned so as to mark 16, and so on,

up to the passage of 1200 feet through the meter when the wheel has beenturned so as to mark 96. During the whole of this movement the nose ofthe pawl 145 has been passing over the circular eriphery of the cam 142and has thereby been held out of engagement with the teeth of theratchet wheel 141 secured upon the dollars-recording wheel. But, inadvancing to the last named position, the pawl reaches the shorterrecess-143 and drops thereinto. It is thereby permitted to engage theteeth of the ratchet wheel, so that on its next advance from the pointcorresponding to the mark .96, the cents-recording wheel 82 carries withit the dollars-recording wheel 83 through one twenty-fifth of arevolution, and thereby moves said wheel 83 from a position marking zeroto a position marking 1. It has already been shown that the impressionmade by the dollarsrecording Wheel 83 should not be changed for the nexttwelve impressions made by the cents-recording wheel 82, that is, forthe movements of said wheel by which it is able to make the impressions12 for 1400 feet, 20 for 1500 feetand so on up to 92 for 2400 feet. Thisresult could have been obtained by making the cam recess 143 so shortthat, by the next movement of the cents-recording wheel, after makingthe impression .04 corresponding to 1300 feet, the pawl 145 would beforced out of the cam recess 143 and thereby also be moved out ofengagement with the ratchet wheel 141 so that thereafter said(lollairs-recording wheel would not move with the cents-recording wheel,until the awl again dropped into a cam recess. The lmpracticability ofthis arrangement will, however, appear from the followingconsiderations. The wheel 82 advances one twentyfifth of a revolution ateach step, and therefore, the wheel 83, when moved by the wheel 82, mustalso advance one twenty-fifth of a revolution. It is therefore necessaryto divide the periphery of said wheel 83 into twenty-five divisions. Nowthese twentyfive divisions cannot be arranged to record the digits 0 to9 in continuous succession, around the wheel repeatedly. It is for thisreason that the first cam recess 143 is made of the same width as two ofthe teeth of the ratchet wheel, and the other one 144 is made of thesame width as three of such teeth, there being the two cams recesses oneach side an intervening circular portion corresponding in extent to tenof the teeth of the ratchet wheel, so that when, after the first of theabove changes, the cents-recording wheel makes its second movement,corresponding to the indication .12 for 1400 feet, the dollars-recordinwheel moves with it, through one twenty-fifth of a revolution. And as itis now necessary to mark the same amount of dollars as before, namely,$1.00,

the pins which mark the numeral 1 are repeated at this point on thewheel 83. When the cents-recording wheel makes its next advance, fromthe position indicating 12 for 1400 feet, to the position indicating 20for 1500, the pawl 145 is then lifted out of its cam recess 143, and outof engagement with the ratchet wheel 14]., so that the dollars-recordinwheel remains in the same position as before, and continues to give theimpression 1. This remains the case also for the next nine advances, tenin all, until the pawl drops into the other cam recess 144, so that itagain engages the ratchet wheel 141, and upon the next advance of thecents-recording wheel the dollars-recording wheel 83 is also advanced,and is moved into position indicating 2. Since this cam recess 144 is ofa length corresponding to three of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, thedollars-recording wheel 83 is advanced twice more with the advance ofthe cents-recording wheel, and itis therefore necessary to form on theperiphery of said wheel, two more sets of pins to perforate theimpression 2. is now repeated with the succeeding numerals, that is tosay, the dollars-recording wheel is provided with pins perforating twonumerals 3, three numerals 4, two numerals 5, and so on, two of the oddnumerals and three of the even numerals. This arrangement of the pins onthe wheel 83 is seen in Figs. 4, 8, and 12 and is also indicateddiagrammatically at 148 in Fig. 21.

With the necessary changes the same system can be applied when the gasis sold at other rates than 80 cents per thousand cu. ft. To indicatethe cost of gas when it reaches the sum of $10.00 and over, there isprovided a third wheel 84, which carries on its periphery pins forperforating the numerals 0, 1, 2, etc., up to 24. This wheel 84 isadvanced one twenty-fifth of a revolution for each complete advance ofthe dollars-recording wheel, for which purpose there is secured to theinner side thereof a ratchet wheel 151 having twenty-five teeth. Securedupon the shaft between the wheels 83 and 84 is a star wheel 152 havingtwenty-five divisions, each occupied by a point or star except where theedge is cut out to form a notch or cam 154 equal to the width of onestar. Secured upon the outer side of the dollars-recording wheel 88 is apawl 155 normally pressed inward by means of a spring 156. One functionof the star wheel 152, that performed by the recesses between its stars,is to maintain the dollars-recording wheel in its proper place, thisbeing done by the engagement of the spring-actuated pawl 155 with eachof said recesses in succession of said star wheel. But, once in eachrevolu- The same arrangement 155 drops into the notch 154 and therebyengages the ratchet wheel 151 secured to the third wheel 84, and, whilethe pawl is in said notch, said third wheel is advanced with thedollars-recording wheel through one twentyfifth of a revolution. When itis so advanced, the pawl is moved out of the notch 154, and the thirdwheel 84 is, not again advanced until the dollars-recording wheel hasmade a complete revolution. In order to retain the third wheel in theposition to which it has been advanced, there is carried on its outerside a spring-actuated pawl 157 which, in like manner with the pawl 155,engages a fixed star wheel 158 having twentyfive teeth.

It has already been stated that the amount recording wheels 88, 80, 90are advanced from one of the gear wheels 73 by means of a gear wheel 75which meshes with a gear wheel 86 on a shaft 87. The method by whichthese amount recording wheels 88, 89, 00 are advanced is precisely thesame as that disclosed in my British Patent, No. 9652 of May the 8th,1905, and need not be herein further specified. In the manner shown insaid British patent an intermittent rotary motion is transmitted to saidamount recording means from the continuous rotary motion of the shaft 7and the gear wheel 78.

I claim 1. 111 an apparatus of the character described, the combinationof a meter case, a recording mechanism, a casing therefor, means forattaching said casing to said case, a driving shaft for said mechanism,a meter shaft, a detachable connection for said shafts, marking devicesactuated by said driving shaft, means for supplying record sheets tosaid marking devices, a closure for said mechanism, means actuated bythe movement of said closure for operating said marking devices to marksaid record sheets, and means for discharging the record sheets somarked, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ameter case, a mechanism frame, a casing therefor, means for supportingsaid casing upon said case, said mechanism frame comprising a suitableguide, a carrier adapted to move along said guide, means for markingbills, supported on said carrier, the casing of said mechanism having amovable front door or cover, and means automatically operated by theopening of said door to cause said carrier to reciprocate to mark saidbills, said means comprising a link attached to the rear side of saiddoor, a lever, means actuated by the forward movement of the link toswing said lever, a rack actuated by said lever, a pinion engaged bysaid rack, and a connection between said inion and the carrier,operative tion of the dollars-recording wheel, the pawl to move saicarrier in one direction of said pinion, but inoperative to so move itin the opposite directlon thereof, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ameter case, a mechanism frame, a casing therefor, means for supportingsaid casing upon said case, said mechanism frame comprising a suitableguide, a carrier adapted to move along said guide, means for markingbills, supported on said carrier, the casing of said mechanism having amovable front door or cover, and

means automatically operated by the opening of said door to cause saidcarrier to reciprocate to mark said bills, said means comprising a linkattached to the rear side of said door, a lever, an operative connectionbetween said lever and the carrier permitting said carrier to be movedby the lever when moving in one direction, the latter being inoperativeto move said carrier while moving in the other direction, substantiallyas described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination ofmarking devices, a meter, means for advancing said marking devices fromthe movement of the meter mechanism, a closure for closing access tosaid marking devices, means for advancing a record sheet, and means formoving said marking devices to mark said record sheet, comprising a linkpivotally connected to said closure, a slidepiece attached to said link,a lever attached to said slidepiece, a rack connected to said lever, apinion engaged by said rack, a disk, means carried by said pinion foradvancing said disk when the pinion rotates in one direction, butinoperative in the other direction of rotation of the pinion, a shaft towhich said disk is secured, a crank carried by said shaft, linksconnected to said cranks, and means for carrying said marking devicescornected to said links, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ameter mechanism arranged to be actuated by the passage of a fluid,markingdevices adapted to be advanced by said meter mechanism, means foradvancing a record sheet, a closure for said means, and an operativeconnection between said closure and the marking devices whereby acomplete reciprocation is iven to the latter from a movement in oneirectlon only of said closure, its movement in the other direction beininoperative to move said devices, substantia l as described.

6 In an apparatus 0% the character descr bed, the combination of ameter, marking devices, means for detachably connecting sa d markingdevices with the meter mechanism, whereby said marking devices areadvanced with the movement of said mechanism, a door or cover, meansautomatically operated by the movement of said door to reci rocate saidmarking devices, resetting mec anism for resetting said markin devicesto zero, and means for automatlcally arresting the return movement ofthe marking devices at a point at which the resetting devices can beoperated to reset them to zero, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ameter, marking devices, means for detachably connecting said markingdevices with the meter mechanism, whereby said marking devices areadvanced with the movement of said mechanism, a door or cover, meansautomatically operated by the movement of said door to reciprocate saidmarking devices, resetting mechanism for resetting said marking devicesto zero, means for automatically arresting the return movement of themarking devices at a point at which the resetting devices can beoperated to reset them to zero, and means under the control of theoperator for removing the said arresting means, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, recording wheels, a connection between said wheels andmechanism, resetting wheels for resetting the recording wheels, meansfor moving said recording wheels to make a record, and meansautomatically operated in the movement of said recording wheels to breaksaid connection and connect said recording and resetting wheels,substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, recording wheels, resetting wheels, means for moving therecording wheels to make the record, an operative connection betweensaid recording wheels and meter mechanism, means for automaticallybreaking said connection, and connecting the recording wheels with theresettin wheels 1n the movement in one direction 0 said recordingwheels, and for disconnecting the recording and resetting wheels, andconnecting the recording wheels with the meter mechanism on the returnmovement of said recording wheels, substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, marking wheels, an operative connection between said metermechanism and marking wheels, a swingin yoke, a resetting shaft havingbearings t erein, resetting wheels on said shaft, a support for themarking wheels, a device engaging said yoke in the movement in onedirection of said support to shift said yoke to move said resettinwheels out of their 0 rative connection wi the marking whee s, and meansfor causing the marking wheels to be operatively connected with themeter mechanism in the same movement of said support, substantially asdescribed.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, recording wheels, an operative connection between said metermechanism and recordin Wheels, whereby the latter may be advance fromthe former, resetting mechanism for said recording wheels, means fortaking a record on a record sheet from said recording wheels, meansactuated in said record-taking movement to disconnect the recordingwheels from the meter mechanism and to connect them with the resettingmechanism, and means actuated on the return movement of said recordtaking means, for restorin the former connection and breaking the atter,substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination ofmet-er mechanism, a series of recording wheels, a connection betweensaid recording wheels and meter mechanism whereby said wheels areadvanced by said meter mechanism, resetting wheels for respectivelyengaging the recording wheels, each recording wheel having a circularportion with a notch therein, and

' dogs adapted to respectively engage said notches to arrest therecording wheels at the zero position, and devices carried by said dogsand adapted to engage one another whereby said dogs are normallymaintained out of engagement with the notches, and permitting tosuccessively engage said notches only in an order corresponding with theorder of the wheels, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, a series of recording wheels, a connection between saidrecording wheels and meter mechanism whereby said wheels are advanced bysaid meter mechanism, resetting wheels for respeetlvely engaging therecording wheels, each recording wheel having a circular portion with anotch therein,

and dogs adapted to respectively engage sald notches to arrest therecording wheels at the zero position, one of said dogs having an armextending laterally and adapted to .engage another dog and to hold thelatter out of engagement with its notch until the former hasengaged itsnotch, substantially as described; I

14. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, a series of recording wheels on a common shaft, an operativeconnection between said mechanism and said wheels, whereby the latterare advanced from the former, a gear wheel carried by each recordingwheel, resetting gear wheels adapted to be moved into engagement withsaid gear wheels on the recording wheels to reset the latter to zero, acommon shaft for said resetting wheels and coiled'springs connectingsaid resetting wheels with said shaft, substantially as described.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of motormechanism, recording mechanism arranged to be advanced by said metermechanism, a plate carrying said recording mechanism, date recordingdevices also carried by said plate, a casing for said mechanism andplate, said casing having a movable cover, and means actuated by themovement. of said cover for moving said plate to take records from saidrecording and date recording mechanisms, substantially as described.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of metermechanism, recording mechanism, an operative connection between saidmeter and recording mechanisms, a date recording mechanism, means formoving said recording mechanisms in unison to taking a record, means forautomatically advancing said date recording mechanism at each movementthereof, and means for independently advancing said date recordingmechanism by hand, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

RICHARD WILLIAM GALLAGHER. lVitnesses MURRAY M. I'IARRIS, CHAS. E. GRAY.

